Writing is like jelly; give it time to set

by maximusaurus

If there’s one thing I’m brilliant at, it’s viewing my own work through a critical microscope so powerful that I could probably use it to perv on amorous dust mites.

This is particularly true of things that I write. When I’m in the process of writing something, or I’ve just finished, I’m always convinced that it’s utter rubbish. I want to delete/throw out the whole thing, then take a cricket bat to the nearest luxury automobile.

As I write this, right now, it is pissing me off. I feel like it’s crap, and I can’t write, and I should just give up this blogging business and resign from my job.

But what I’ve found is that if I close this document, leave it for a few days, and come back, these feelings have largely dissipated, and I’ll feel much better about what I’ve written here. Let’s give that a try.

*TWO DAYS LATER*

It worked; I’m no longer frustrated, and what I’ve written here no longer makes me cringe.

I can’t say whether this will work for others, but I figure it’s worth a shot, so next time your writing feels like pushing a car through a puddle of treacle, try leaving it for a few days, or even weeks, and coming back. Maybe you’ll find it’s come unstuck on its own. (Yes, I realize this metaphor clashes with the title, but go easy on me, I’m in remission from a minor case of writer’s block, and my neighbour’s baby has been trying to set a new world record for decibels per kg of body weight)